Hotel / Catering & Pub Management

Name: Paul Cobbe

Rank on Exit: -

Previous occupation: Pub Landlord (hospitality)

Current occupation: NVQ/Apprenticeship Assessor in Hospitality & Catering

Paul Cobbe ran a 500-year-old village inn offering food and accommodation, which was a centre for his local village. When his lease came to an end, Paul was out of a job; a bad road accident then forced him back to his home town of Chester with nothing to show for all his hard work. He was determined that over 20 years of experience was not going to go to waste and signed up for a back-to-work scheme with his local college. It advised Paul that assessing/training would be a perfect career option. Unfortunately, after doing some work for the college, it let him down quite badly when it came to start his assessor’s course. A further two years later, Paul saw an advert for Bright Assessing and, after speaking to a course adviser, he was determined the assessor’s course was right for him and managed to access a 50+ training grant that paid for it in full.

Paul found that training with Bright fitted in perfectly around his work and other commitments. He found that his mentor and the staff at Bright were on hand to help whenever he needed. After successfully completing the course Paul used the CV template from his leavers’ pack to start applying for assessing jobs. He was amazed to see how quickly he was offered an interview, and Bright was again on hand to offer interview advice, which enabled Paul to secure the first job he went for.

Paul is now looking forward to a very financially secure future as an NVQ/Apprenticeship Assessor for a private training provider in hospitality, catering and customer service. He is on a minimum self-employed salary of £50,000 and can enjoy further benefits in a new and growing company, secure in the knowledge that he is working in a growth sector. Paul is looking forward to working with people again, and helping to raise the standards for businesses and enabling employees to gain the most from their careers. He is also looking forward to starting his Internal Verifiers course soon and says that he will certainly be coming to Bright for any further training that he needs.

Now that Bright is an approved provider with ELCAS, we have number of ex-Forces personnel registering on to our assessor’s course. Assessing is a great way to use the knowledge and skills you have gained in the Forces to train others.

For more information or to register please call 08451162585 to speak to one of our qualified course advisers. Please have your service number ready when you call.

See the advertisement on page 29.

Published January 2012

Name: Lee Morris

Rank on Exit: Warrant Officer

Years of Service: 23 Years

Qualifications Gained: Gables School of Cookery

My name is Lee Morris and I have just completed a 23-year career in the Corps of the Royal and Electrical Mechanical Engineers (REME), where I achieved the rank of Warrant Officer Class One in the trade discipline of Artificer Vehicles. As I had planned my transition to civilian life from a long way out, I had completed most of the educational/trade-related qualifications that were in my Professional Development Record and I wanted to undertake a resettlement course that would give me another skill I could use in everyday life, while providing me with another interest for the future. After much searching through various resettlement magazines, I stumbled across an advert for the Gables School of Cookery. Now, while I had dabbled in the kitchen in the past – often armed with my trusty bottle of inspiration (red wine!) – I had no idea of the science behind why things worked, or in my case, didn’t! Despite much mickey-taking from my workmates, I decided that this was the resettlement course for me and I set about doing my research.

There were various schools advertising on the internet, offering four-week fast-track-to-stardom courses, but what impressed me about the Gables’ approach was the amount of time actually spent cooking compared to its competitors; its friendly, helpful approach when making enquiries and, finally, its value for money. Booking on to its four-week intensive course could not have been easier: one quick call to Chris and that was that. He provided my resettlement officer with a fully itemised breakdown of costs (exam, course, accommodation and food) and these enabled me to attend this course with a value of over £3,100 at a cost of just over £250 to myself – a bargain, I’m sure you will agree, in any language!

As the start date drew nearer and my joining instructions arrived, I began to feel anxious. Would I be able to complete this course to the satisfaction of the staff? Would I be out of the place among all the other budding Delias and Gordons? Would my old van make it all the way to Thornbury? (It actually didn’t on the last week but that’s another story!) I need not have worried as we were made to feel at home straight away. I felt even more at home when, during the introductions, I discovered a fellow squaddie on the course … even if he was a bootie! The remainder of the course personnel came from varying backgrounds: yachting girls, students on one of their many gap years, a journalist and even a few people who wanted to go into the industry full-time, either as a trainee chef or as proprietor of their own business.

The format of the course is that you cook dishes in the morning that you then eat for lunch, and then you cook more dishes in the afternoon that you have for your evening meal. This often takes the form of a team affair, with each pair producing parts of the whole dish. Students carry out these operations armed with a 500-page ‘bible’ that is yours to keep; this now has pride of place in my home, complete with all my scribbles to remind me where I went wrong … and occasionally right! My mother-in-law keeps pinching it now, and often questions me on its content.

The staff at the Gables are all terrific and it’s not long before a strong bond is formed between students and staff, with a lot of light-hearted mickey-taking on both sides. Special thanks must go to ‘Stunningly Wonderful’ Kath, who is a mine of information on the science of cooking, and her enthusiasm for her subject is fabulous. Sam keeps the cupboards well stocked up and woe betide anyone that puts something in the fridge without a label – or, even worse, in the wrong place! Chris and Fran run the school and obviously enjoy their work. It was also nice to hear that they have a healthy respect and a soft spot for the Armed Forces. I think Paul (the bootie) and I received favourable treatment and comments because of this. Richard, the third partner, who is a very successful entrepreneur, gives all students a brief on starting their own business and is more than willing to offer his help post-course should any students consider opening their own outlets at a later date.

Of course, after eating all this rich food every day, you need to visit the gym to work off all the calories. The course comes with free temporary membership to the local five-star hotel gymnasium, pool and spa. This gave all the students the welcome opportunity to unwind at the end of a long, hard day on their feet.

The climax of the course is a full dinner night for staff, students and invited guests, where you get to plan and deliver the menu within a given budget. This is where the students get to show off their skills to the staff and invited guests in an informal atmosphere, complete with copious amounts of the aforementioned inspiration. I think some of the students hit it too early, though, as the timings were a little off the stated mark! Never mind, though, all was swallowed down with great gusto and the party continued well past midnight. In fact, I think that, had we not eventually drunk the house dry, we would still be there now!

Enough waffle … what did I get out of the course? I am now much more confident in my approach to cooking – not to mention successful. I have held a succession of dinner nights, with many more to follow as I strive to impress my family and friends. I have not bought a loaf of bread since the course as I now make my own religiously. I never use stock cubes or buy sauces, and I am often asked for my ‘pearls of wisdom’ by my mother-in-law! You really would be surprised how far you can come in four short weeks. As our calorific intake has now gone through the roof, my wife is considering coming on the healthy eating course in order to learn where alternative ingredients could be used to make leaner dishes. For me, though, I think I will stick with the full-fat recipes as you only live once!

In summary, I strongly recommend the Gables School of Cookery for anybody either considering cooking as a hobby or as a future route to employment. All methods and regions of cooking are covered, as are all relevant health and safety standards. Booking could not be easier; nearly all costs are available to offset against resettlement grants, the staff are wonderful … So, go on, what have you got to lose?

Published January 2012

Name: Jason Asquith

Rank on Exit: WO2

Years of Service: 22 Years

Qualifications Gained: BII level 2, NVQ level 5 Diplomas in Management

WO2 Jason Asquith left the Forces last month on completion of his 22 years’ service in the Royal Artillery, and having served in locations such as Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Afghanistan, Germany and Iraq.

While serving, he gained the following qualifications: BII level 2, NVQ level 5 Diplomas in Management, Internal Verifier, Harassment Investigation Officer, and Equality and Diversity Manager. His BII level 2 course, which he found well run and useful, was undertaken with Herron Training during his resettlement period.

This led on to his first civilian job at the Regency in Harrogate, a Punch Taverns pub, as ‘tenant at will’: director of a limited business and landlord. His role involves ‘management of employees, upkeep of the premises, general management duties – book-keeping, barman, stock taker, cleaner, publican. I love it all,’ he enthuses, ‘the fact you meet different people every day, listen to their problems and give advice, and learn different things about them.’

He finds many similarities between this and his Service job: ‘Everyone says that the hardest thing when you leave the Forces is the fact that you miss your mates, but with this job there is still plenty of banter, and you meet a range of different people.’ Aside from the ‘people’ aspect, he emphasises that ‘You never know what to expect in this business. Although being called upon to deal with situations and confrontations is similar to the experience you might have had in the Forces, within the military there is discipline in place to stop things getting out of hand. In the pub industry, you can be a social worker one minute and a referee the next, stopping a fight – but the pleasure you get out of it when things go right is the same.’

Although he is finding a significant difference in salary at the moment, he is philosophical about this, concluding: ‘When starting out in a new job you expect a drop in wages, but you get out of life what you put in! The fact is that you are in control and, if you make the right choices, you could make more money than you could ever earn in the Forces.’

Published April 2011

Name: John Barnes

Rank on Exit: Sgt

Years of Service: 22 Years

Qualifications Gained: Resettlement course with Herron House

With no previous experience in the hospitality industry, ex-Royal Artillery Sgt John Barnes has shown national pub operator JD Wetherspoon what Service leavers are made of. Having left the Army on his 40th birthday, after 22 years’ Service, he completed his resettlement course with Herron House last year, and left the Army in July. The course was, he says, ‘professionally run by someone who clearly has a vast wealth of knowledge thanks to many years in the hospitality industry. I feel that I benefited immensely from the guidance and instruction offered throughout, and would without hesitation recommend it to any Service leaver considering a career in the sector.

‘I knew about Wetherspoons before coming on the course; and although the course informed me of the career options available, and what other brewers, pubcos and employers had to offer, I decided that JDW had the best training/promotion opportunities. So I joined the team at my local, The Three Tuns in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, rather than go direct via the Herron House/Wetherspoon guaranteed interview route, as I felt I needed a bit more practical experience before applying for a management position. Within weeks I had broken the record for “highest weekly take” for a team member (£5,188), which still stands!

‘Matt Creighton, the general manager, arranged for me to meet the area manager, Scott Wilson, who put me forward for the company’s Management Selection Forum in Leeds, where I was successful, and I’m now shift manager at one of JDW’s flagship pubs: The Winter Garden in Harrogate. Within three months of being here I have completed my grades 1 and 2 courses, with two more to go, then I’m ready for promotion to general manager, running my own place. With JDW opening new pubs across the country all the time, that won’t be too far away.’

Herron House course director, Alan Herron, confirms that ‘Our course sets out to satisfy the training needs of every Service leaver, whatever their rank, background or current situation. When “Barney” did his course with us, I knew he was going through a serious domestic crisis and was effectively “juggling” this with his resettlement training, but he was determined to complete the course and be successful in his chosen second career with his chosen pub company. The results speak for themselves, and demonstrate to employers in all industries what Service leavers are capable of.’

January 2011

Name: Robert ‘Arty’ Shaw

Rank on Exit: CPO

Years of Service: 24 Years

Qualifications Gained: Four-week residential resettlement course with Herron House

Following 24 years in uniform, serving in locations such as the Gulf and the Far East, Underwater Weapons specialist CPO Robert ‘Arty’ Shaw left the Royal Navy in 2009 in search of ‘a new career direction’. Now working as shift manager at JD Wetherspoon (JDW) pub, the Rann Wartha, in St Austell, Cornwall, he says that the man management skills gained during his Service career have ‘without a doubt’ proved useful: ‘When I see it done badly out here in civvy street,’ he says, ‘I am so grateful for my Service training – and it is noticed that I can get things done using my Service skills.’

He attended a CTW, which was useful in that it directed him to a four-week residential resettlement course with Herron House in Lancaster, for which he used his GRT and IRTC grant. He found this course ‘extremely well run and relevant to the needs of the Service leaver. The career guidance was very positive.’ A civilian detachment was involved and, he says, ‘together with my partner, I was one of the guinea pigs on the first Herron House/JDW secondment, which went very well and was instrumental in me gaining my current employment with the company here in the south-west.’

This was Arty’s first civilian job on leaving the Forces and came about, he says, as ‘Herron House had just established a link with JDW as a result of the success of Service leavers already employed by the company; course director Alan Herron recommended me to JDW, my application was picked up at its head office (JDW guarantees an interview to all Herron House Service leavers), I was invited to attend one of its recruitment forums in Plymouth and was offered employment.’

His job currently involves ‘acting as deputy in the general manager’s absence. My areas of responsibility include financial control, maintenance of premises, dealing with contractors, staff training and induction, staff supervision and control, stock management and ordering, marketing and merchandising, office admin and weekly returns, risk assessments and other H&S issues, identifying staff training needs and delivering training sessions, customer liaison and service standards … to name but a few! JDW operates a “lifestyle culture”, which means I can enjoy a management role in the hospitality industry without working every hour God sends. All managers work 48 hours per week max, with two complete days off, finishing on an early shift and re-starting on a late one.’

‘You need to be aware,’ he says, ‘of the differences between military management styles and civvy ones, but that was discussed on my resettlement course, along with many other issues encountered by Service leavers going into civilian employment.’ The good news is ‘I expect to exceed my leaving pay rate within months.’ Speed of promotion is quicker too: ‘I’ve got all my promotion courses and exams lined up. I expect to be general manager fairly quickly, with the salary to match – and something else that is different is being able to go home every day to my girlfriend and newborn baby girl!’

Published January 2010

Hotel / Catering & Pub Management - Case Studies